Darren is a self-licensed Financial Adviser, the founder of Align Financial, a member of the 2016 Most Trusted Advisers group and winner of the 2016 AFA Adviser of the Year award; Australia’s most prestigious award for financial advisers. Having spent more than 30,000 hours in the financial planning profession, Darren’s advice combines left-brain logic with right-brain understanding. He applies his expertise to each client, allowing them to spend their time doing the things that are important to them.

In joining the Finance Industry nearly 30 years ago, was somewhat memorable as coincided with that of the 1987 Stock Market crash. Despite the timing, Marc directed his knowledge and energy towards helping his very busy clients have the best possible chance in reaching financial freedom. Financial freedom rather than retirement as for many, they want to continue to work once older, not because they have to but because they want to. Marc lives in Sydney with his better half Anne-Maree and enjoys learning all that he does not know about life from his two daughters, traveling and all types of sport, particularly soccer (a Liverpool tragic), ballroom dancing, tennis and golf.

As a Director and Financial Adviser at Evalesco Financial Services, Jeff Thurecht is motivated by empowering his clients and the community to be healthy, wealthy and happy. He is a passionate believer in the opportunity for financial advice to play a greater role in helping clients to understand what success means for them and then establish a path which maximises the probability of achieving those dreams.

Under Jeff's leadership the Evalesco business has been widely recognised for it's innovation and outstanding service to their clients. Including being awarded 2013 Professional Investment Services Practice of the year and being a finalist in the IFA Excellence Practice Principal of the year for 2016.

Jeff is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and is enjoying his 20th year in financial advice while looking forward to continuing to help more people to be healthy, wealthy and happy.

Deborah has built a successful career in financial planning over the past 28 years. Since establishing Integra Financial Services in 1996, Deborah has been at the forefront of embracing change on an industry, personal and business level to build a successful, family friendly and sustainable business. She has featured prominently in the industry and local community for many years with her involvement in Industry Associations. Deborah has recently been appointed to the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority.

Philip is the CEO of the AFA, Australia’s oldest professional association representing the interests of financial advisers. Founded in 1946, the AFA passionately believes in the value of financial advice and the difference it makes to the lives of everyday Australians.

Jenny Brown, FChFP CFP SSA GAICD Dip FP is the award-winning director and head of strategy of JBS Financial Strategists, a boutique financial planning company in Melbourne that specialises in SMSFs and personal risk insurance. She's also proudly the 2013 AFA Financial Adviser of the Year and the FSSmileys Scholar of the Year. Jenny offers more than 24 years - experience in the financial planning industry, where her personal philosophy has never wavered - she gets to know what is important to her clients first, and then acts to help them achieve their dreams. Specifically, she helps create and manage wealth strategies for high net worth, small business and Gen X & Y clients. As a result, her business is about building relationships, which has enabled her to grow JBS into the thriving and progressive practice it is today, backed by a lively and dedicated team of advisers and specialists. Life at JBS is all about having fun too, and Jenny invests heavily in her team to ensure happy campers all round. Her great passions are social media and networking, but she's equally driven to help women in business and sits on several business advisory boards. Her motto: Love what you do and smile, it costs nothing and makes you and those around you feel better!

Steve has over twenty-five years experience in the financial services industry. Over the last twenty years in financial planning both as a financial planner himself, and also running the management and development of Financial Planners and other holders of letters of authority in geographic teams.

His academic qualifications include:-

Bachelor of Commerce (HRM and Management), Griffith University Completed 1998

Master of Business Administration (Org Change and HRM), University of Southern Queensland Completed 2000

Michael is the owner, Managing Director and Senior Adviser at Nowak Financial Services. He began advising in 2005 and since then has made a successful transition into a Senior Adviser role and succeeded Joe to become the owner of the business. The people side of the advising role is what Michael derives most satisfaction from, the engagement with clients and being able to work with them to develop creative solutions. Michael has integrated the goals based financial planning approach in the Nowak Financial Services based on his experience with clients and his own situation.

Michael holds the following qualifications – FChFP designation, a Bachelor of Business from QUT and an Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning. Whilst in his role as President in 2013/14 his Board were instrumental in raising education standards and codes of conduct, improving the perception of advice, and championing the role of women in advice. Michael specialises in personal and family life insurance advice, working with business owners for their insurance and retirement strategies, superannuation accumulation and retirement planning.

Eleanor has worked in the banking and finance sector for several decades. During this career journey, she has learned that the only way for her to provide meaningful advice is to educate her clients in all aspects of managing their financial affairs, with the result that her clients can give her informed consent whenever she gives them recommendations that will affect their financial health.